When I went out to vote last week, I was nervous and worried about casting my ballot for the 2024 presidential election. As a first-time voter, I made sure to stay up to date on registration deadlines, where I could vote if it was best to mail in or go in person. 

Luckily for me, there was no line. 

I was very active on social media where I posted multiple posts about the election. Though I don’t have a large following on Instagram, I do my best to express how I feel because there are too many people who I’ve heard say, “Well this election isn’t going to affect me,” that statement worries me. 

Recently I had an assignment where I had to interview people about the election. Many of them talked about how they don’t vote, haven’t, and won’t. However, I can’t understand why, to me, voting is important in exercising your First Amendment rights. I realized that a lot of people were telling me this was the youth. 

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), an organization that analyzes the youth vote every election since 2018, found that the youth turnout was lower than in 2020, this year only 42% of young voters from ages 18 to 29 cast their ballots. The site estimated it would be above 50% when they made their predictions. 

This information was last updated on Nov. 6, so the numbers may have risen slightly as states finished counting. With these statistics, I feel a bit disappointed. I wish more people would open up the news or would subscribe to at least one news website. 

I try my best to stay up to date and speak about what I see with others at my workplace, with my college peers, and with family. I want people to care, I want people to vote. 

Before I was so excited about politics and did my endless scrolling on news websites and social media, I thought the political world was scary. 

In a new study by the University of California, Berkeley, researchers found that young liberals and conservatives want to see problems in government get solved, they feel a sense of fatalism. Sharing the belief that the government is dysfunctional and not able to solve critical challenges from older generations. 

Indeed, this can also be because Gen Z and Millennials are facing many risks as they grow older, from the housing crisis to the threat of climate change and even AI. The youth feels hopeless. Social media doesn’t make things any better, that’s why I wish people would move away from doom-scrolling on TikTok or Instagram and find sources online. 

I also understand it’s hard, it’s hard to want to care about politics because the world seems so negative and all these issues may scare people away. It’s hard to hear about how climate scientists are putting a “timer,” for the world before climate change becomes irreversible. Maybe it is best to ignore it.

An article from the Mayo Clinic Press, constant indulgement of “scary news,” can lead to stress, depression, burnout, and can be overwhelming. There are ways to read the news and keep yourself updated on the latest. Some things I learned are you don’t need constant exposure to what’s going on, you don’t need to monitor the news all the time, and you do need to seek out reputable sources. 

Those are all helpful in limiting the constant consumption of social media and news, but still setting time aside to stay updated. As I’m writing this, I am considering these tips, because I have felt a sort of gloom since the announcement of who won. I tried to watch a movie the night of the election, but I kept refreshing Google. 

I did also feel a little hopeless, like why did I go out to vote if this was going to be the outcome? Although we must stay hopeful, regardless of who you voted for, we must stay hopeful that the country will head in a better direction. I don’t believe that it’ll happen with this upcoming presidency, but I’m willing to stay hopeful.

A personal piece of advice that I can give to you, that I am sure everyone will say is to take care of yourself. You might need to find that one thing that brings you the most happiness and seek it till you feel better. You might feel more determined than ever to be even more involved in politics. I hope the people who did not vote or did not care, I hope you feel more inclined now to understand why people are outraged by the results. 

I also hope that this election makes you wonder why people care so much about these issues that are always defined as political. Why do people care about climate change, immigration, reproductive rights, and social justice? Well, I hope that is something you set to find out. 

Rowan students and New Jersey residents, you don’t have to wait another four years to vote again, the 2025 N.J. governors’ race is coming up. Stay informed of who the candidates are, what issues are important this time around, and why in this gubernatorial election you should show up. 

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